Sheet feeder



April '23, 1929.

Pf E. KLEINEBERG SHEET FEEDER Filed not. v., 1926 4 Sheets-Slieet 2.

` AD v Kiln q 'Il l I K Arm/mfr April 23, 192,9.

P. E. KLEINEBEG SHEET FEEDER Filed not. v, 192e 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' lINVENTOI? i Patented Apr. A23, 1929.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

PAUL E. KLEINEBERG, OF BREWSTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR-TO AMERICAN ASSEM-BLING MACHINE COMPANY, F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARESHEET FEEDER.

Application filed October- 7, 1926. Serial No. 140,123.

My invent-ion relates generally to mechanism for successively separatingand feeding sheets of paper or other material, and relates moreparticularly to sheet-feeders t'or separating and feeding cover sheetsfrom a pile to a book covering machine.

The objects of my invention are, among other things, to provide asheet-feeder of this type whereby the individual sheets may be separatedand fed from a pile rapidly and with great precision so as to avoid anybreak or intermission in the flow of successive sheets, and also in sucha way that the pile l may be easily replenished without interfering withthe operation of the feeder. A further object is to provide asheet-feeder of this general character of simple and elicientconstruction andoperation with parts compactly arranged and that are notapt to get outof order.

My improved feeder also presents other features of novelty andusefulness whereby the mechanism is built to give satisfactory andreliable results, all of which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

vThe accompanying drawings show a preferred embodiment of my inventiondesigned for use with a book covering machine in feeding cover sheetssimultaneously to opposite sides of-a book, yet my improved feeder isnot confined to use with this type of machine, since it is capable ofbeing used with any kind of machine which in operation requiressuccessive separations and feedings of sheets of paper or other materialbefore being acted upon by such machine.

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a sheet-feederembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a` planl view of t-he feeder shown in Fig. 4 isa detail Viewof the pneumatic sucker and its operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a, detail view of one of the feedwheels and its gripper rollerand operating mechanisrrf;

Fig. 6 is a detail View of the pile-supporting hook and its operatingmechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a verticalv sectional View of the pumpiconnected with suckersfor separating the sheets. l

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

between the standards 8 and 9 (Fig. 2). r=l`he Referring to Figs. 1-3,the base 7 supports the upright standards 8 and 9 which carry the crossbars 11 and 12 upon which the hoppers 13 for the two piles of coversheets 14 are mounted. These hoppers 13 are alike in construction and adescription of one will suliice for both. Such hoppers 13 comprise theinclined front stop 15 mounted on the bracket'l sleeved on thehorizontal tie-shaft 17 extending bet-Ween the standards 8 and 9 y towhich shaft 17 the bracket 16 is secured by the set-screw'f18; also thebase plate 19 (Fig. 1) supported on the cross-bars 11 and 12 in anysuitable manner; also the side-guides 20 mounted on the plates 2()aslidably mounted on'the cross-bar 11 (Figs. 2 and for sheets lofdiiferent widths; and the 'back-stop 21' with upright lingers 22slidably secured on the base-plate 19 by al screw-bolt 23 and screw--nut 24 (Fig), whereby the back-stop 2l may be advanced orretracted-relatively to the front stop 15 to accommodate for sheets ofdifferent sizes. T he base-plate 19 extends forwardly a short distancebeyond the crossbar 11 to form the transverse opening 25 beneath thepile 14 (Figs. 4 and 6).

In the Figures 1, 2 and 3 I have shown two sheet-feeding units'oppositely disposed to each other between whichextends the horizontalconveyor 2Gv having the laterally projecting fingers 27 to carry thesuccessive books 85 along the book support 28 carried by thecross-lnacket 29 as shown in F ig. 1. The back guide plates 3()extendvertically upward from the book support 28 and are fastened to theside-brackets 31 secured to the 90 standards 8 and 9 1 and 2). The frontguide-plates 32 are parallel with the plates 30 (Fig. 1) and extendupwardly from-.the book support 28 to the cross-rod extending coversheets from the piles 14 are designed to be fed downwardly andsimultaneously between the plates 30 and 32 in parallelism with the endsignatures of the book carried between the front plates 32 along thebook support 28 by the fingers 27 of the conveyor 26 in the usual way bywhich such cover sheets may be applied to the books by any suitablemechanism.

The mechanism for feeding the separated sheets from the pile 14comprises a series of spaced apart feed-wheels 34 (four being shown inFigs. 2 and 3) mounted on the constantlyrotating cam-shaft 35 and thetransversely extending gripper roller 36 which is adapted to coact with,and oscillate circum# ferentially along, the feed-wheels 34 to gripand't-lien feed the cover sheets between the guide plates and 32 inalinement with the sidesof the book. The shaft is driven by the gear 37which meshes with the pinion 38 fastened on the stub-shaft 39 (Figs. 2and 3) journalled in the standard 8. r1`he shaft 39 carries the sprocket40 which is driven in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 by thechain 41 passing around the drive sprocket v42 fastened to thepower-shaft 42a actuated from a suitable source of power. The idlersprocket 43 ournalled on the arm 44 adjustably secured on the stud 45afixed to the standard 8 is used to take up any slack in the chain 41.

The two gear-S37 of the two feeding units are driven in unison by a pairof inter-meshing pinions 46 journalled on a pair of tieshafts 47ext-ending between the standards 8 and 9 as shown in Figs. 13.

To draw down the front margin of the bottom sheet 48 of the pile 14 inthe hopper 13 through the opening 25 I have provided the followingmechanism: The cross-shaft 49 at the front edge of the base-plate 19(Figs. 1 and 4) rotatably carries a' pair of sucker levers 50 having therubber flexible sucker lips 51 extending through the opening 25 (Fig. 1)in contact with the bottom sheet thereafter` to be drawn down inalinement with the periphery of the feed-Wheels 34 (Fig. 4) by thetension of the coil spring 52 extending from the hook on the lever 50 tothe cross-shaft 54 extending between the standards 8 and 9 (Figs. 1 and3). The suckers51 on the levers 50 are positively raised intosheet-seizing position against the force of the springs 52 by the cam 55and cam-rollers 56 )ivoted to the levers 50. Suction is applied to thesuckers l 51 through flexible hose 57 connected to the suction pump 58mounted on the bracket 59 secured to the standard 8, the piston 60 beingpivotally connected to the link-rod 62 journalled on the'crank-arm 63adj ust-ably secured to the camshaft 35. The cam 55 and crank arm 63 areso set on the shaft 35 that suction is applied to the suckers 51 whenthey are raised to engage the bottom sheet 48 (Fig. 1) which suction orexhaust pressure is maintained by the pump 58 until the leading edge ofthe sheet 48 has been brought by the suc ers 51 down into the bite ofthe gripper roller 36 and the feed-wheels 34 when the gripper roller-36has been advanced upwardly or os cillated counter-clockwise (Fig. 1)over the oppositely rotating surfaces of the wheels 34. Four idlerrollers 63 are loosely journalled on the cross-shaft 49 (Figs. 2 and 3)to aid the suckers 51 in pulling the bottom sheets from the pile 14.

Means are provided for oscillating the gripper roller 36circuinferentially along the peripheries of the feed-wheels 34 to gripand then advance the successive sheets, the front margins 0f which havebeen pulled down by the suckers51 through the opening 25 to restv on theperipheries of the feed n wheels 34. Such means may be widely varied inconstruction and operation: In the present embodiment the ends of thegripper-roller 36 are journalled vin the upper ends of the tworock-levers 64 arranged on either side of the feeder each having acut-out portion 65 slidably carrying the slide-block 66 journalled onthe camshaft 35 which forms the fulcrum of the levers 64. Aiixed to thelower end of the levers 64 (Fig. 5) are the spring-studs 67 extendingthrough the cut-out portions 65 and having the compression springs 68coiled about the upper end of the studs 67, one end of the springs 68bearing against the block 66 and the other end of the spring 68 restingagainst the adjusting nuts 69 threaded to the studs 67. The force of thesprings 68 determines the pressure of the gripper-roller' 36 on theperipheries of the feed-wheels 34 whieh may be varied by adjusting thescrew nuts 69 to accommodate for dili'erent grades and thicknesses ofpaper in the pile 14. The tie rod 70 (Figs. 1 and 2) connects the tworocklevers 64 so that theymay be actuated in unison by thegripper-roller cam 71 secured to the shaft 35 (Figs. 1 and 5). The cam71 engages the cam-roller 72 pinned to the lever 73 journalled on theshaft 74 atlixed to the standard 8. ,The lower arm 75 of the lever 73has pinned thereto the link 76 pivotallyconnected to the tie-rod 70, andthe spring 77 con# nected to the end of the arm 75 and the -pin 78 inthe standard 8 causes the cam-roller 72 to follow the cam 71 tooscillate the rocklevers 64 thereby causing the gripper-roller 36 toride back and forth circumferentially on the peri pheries of thefeedwheels 34,

Fig..5 showing the roller 36 in full lines at thebeginning of itsfeeding stroke, while Fig. 1 shows the roller 36 at the end of itsstroke with the suckers 51 raised to seize the next bottom sheet fromthe pile 14.

To advance or feedvdownwardly the separated sheets from the gripperroller 36, I have provided for each feeding unit two positively driventension rollers 79 arranged to coact with the two middle feed-Wheels 34as shown inl Figs. 2 and 3. These vtension rollers 79 are pinned to therollershafts 8O journalled in standard 8 and roller brackets 81journalled on the tie-shafts 47 (Figs. 1 and-2) and are driven by thepinions 82 mounted on the shafts 80 which gears 37 (Fig. 1). Thecompression spring 83 arranged between and bearing forciblyV pinions 82engage with the v on the brackets 81 (Fig. 3) causes the tension rollers79 to bear yieldingly on the mid-- peripheral speed, the separated coversheets l vfed along the feed-wheels 34 by the gripperroller 56 .1readvanced downwardly between the guide-plates and 32 in parallelism withthe opposite faces of the therebetween book resting on edge on the booksupport 28.

Means are provided to support the front Vmargins of each pile 14 aftereach sucker 51 has drawn down the bottom sheet which are best shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 6. A description of one of such devices will sutlice forboth feeding units: Journa-lled in the standards 8 and in theirretractedand inoperative position.

(F ig. l). The'shaft 84 is rocked in timed relation with the rockingmovement of the I suckers 51 by the cam 89 secured to the shaft 35 andengaging the cam-roller 90 pinned to the fork 91 of the rod 92pivot-ally connected to the rock-arm 98 fastened to the bracket 94adjustably secured to the end of the rockshaft 84 (Fig. 1). The spring95 secured to the pin 9G on the fork 91 and to the pin 97 fastened tothe standard 9 (Figs. 1 and 2) holds the cam-roller 90 in engagementwith the cam 89. Fig. 1 shows the hooks 87 lowered and away from thepile 14 with the roller 90 riding on the lower part of the cam 89, whileFigs. 4 and 0 show the`hooks 87 raised and advanced beneath the frontmargin of the pile 14 and the roller 90 riding along the high part ofthecam 89 while the suckers 51 are'lowered with the bottom sheet 48 bentdown into contact with the feed-wheels 34.

The construction and operation of the suction pump 58 whichintermittently applies exhaust pressure through the hose connection 57to the suckers 51 may be widely varied: In the present embodiment shownin Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7, the lower end of the piston rod 61 slides in thesleeve 98; the pist-on has a series of circumferential ports 99 formedin its periphery and carries the upwardly flanged washer 100 which makesa tight fit with the side-walls of the pump 58. The flap valve 101secured by the screw 102 to the pump 58 automatically closes the port103 in the bottom of the pump, all as shown in Fig. 7. In operation theupward stroke of the pistontO creates an exhaust pressure in the pump 58and thence through the hose 57 to the suckers 51 until the pistonreaches its Fig. 7 position when suction is broken through the ports 99rising above thetop rim of the pump 58; on the down stroke of the piston60 the flap valve 101 is forced outwardly by the air expelled throughthe port 103 until the piston G0 reaches the limit of its loweringmovement. This reciprocating movement of the piston 60 is suitably timedwith the raising and lowering ot' the suckers 51 by adjusting the cam 55on the cam-shaft 85, as will be understood by those skilled in thissheet-feeding art.

In operation thesuckers 51 are timed to draw down the front margin ofthe bottom sheet 48 as the hooks 87 are thrown forwardly under thebalance of the pile 14. lVhile the suckers 51 are being lowered thegripperroller 36 is oscillated counter-clockwise along the peripehriesof the feed-wheels 34 until the leading edge of the sheet 48 bent downby the stickers is seized in the bite of the feedwheels 34 (rotating asshown in the arrows in Figs. 1 and 4) and the gripper' roller 36 whenthe suction is cut olf from the suckers 51 with a release of the sheet48 as has been hereinbefore described. Then the rock-levers 64 are movedin the same direction as the feed wheels 34 rotate by which thegripper-roller 86 is swung downwardly on the peripheries of thefeed-wheels 34 carrying the sheet 48 from its Fig. 4 to the Fig. 5position. Thereafter the suckers 51 are raised by the cam 55 and thehooks 87 are swung outwardly to their Fig. 1 position while thefeed-wheels 34 and gripper roller 36 bring the leading edge of the sheet48 into the bite of the feed wheels 34 and tension rollers 79 whichcarry the sheet 48 between them until its lower leading edge contactswith the book support 28 between the guide plates 80 and 32. Then thesuckers 51 are raised inl the next cycle as the hooks 87 are withdrawnas shown in Fig. 1 and the operation is repeated. The respective cams 55, 71 and 89 are all set and timed respectively to act in unison so thatthe cover sheetsfrom the two piles 14 shall be simultaneously separatedand fed downwardly between the guide plates 30 and 32. i

The foregoing constructions embody the essential principles of myinvention as embodied in a sheet-feeder that separates the successivebottom sheets from a superposed pile, but various changes may bemadeinthe lstructural details without departing from the scope of myinmrovements. However the foregoing is sufficient to disclose theunderlying principles and advantages of my invention as particularlyYapplied to a feeder for separating and advancing cover sheets to abook-covering machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sheet-feeder7 a rotary feed-wheel, a coacting gripper-rolleroscillatable over said feed-wheel for advancing a sheet therebetween.and a driven roller also coactingl with said feed-wheel for thereafterforwarding the advanced sheet.

2. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary feed-wheel, a

coactin'g gripper-roller oscillatable over. said feed-wheel foradvancing a sheet therebetween, and a spring-tensioned roller alsocoacting with said feed-Wheel for thereafter forwarding the advancedsheet. A

3.' In a sheet-feeder, arotary feed-wheel, a coacting gripper-rolleroscillatable overl said feed-wheel for advancing a sheet therebetween,and a roller positivelyl driven at the same peripheral speed andVcoacting with said feed-wheel for thereafter forwarding the advancedsheet. y

4. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary feed-wheel, a coacting gripper-rolleroscillatable over said feed-wheel for advancing a sheet therebetween,anda spring-tensioned roller positively driven at the same peripheralspeed and coacting with said feed-wheel for thereafter forwarding-thefa'dvanced sheet.

5. In asheet-feeder, a rotary feed-wheel, a coacting gripper-rolleryieldingly' held against and oscillatable over and `frictionally drivenby, lsaid feed-wheel for advancing a 'sheet therebetween, and a drivenroller also coacting with said 'feed-wheel for thereafter forwarding theadvanced sheet. n

6. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary feed-Wheel, a coacting gripper-'rolleryieldingly held against and oscillatable over, and frictionally drivenby, said feed-wheel for advancing a sheet therebetween, and aspring-tensioned roller positively driven at the same peripheral speedand coacting with said feed-wheel for thereafter forwarding the advancedsheet.

7. In a sheet-feeder, a pile of superposed sheets, a rotary feed-wheel,a sucker oscillatable beneath said pile to separate and carry the bottomsheet from the pile to said feedwheel, a coacting gripper-rolleroscillatable over, and frictionally driven by, said feedwheel foradvancing said sheet therebetween and rotary' means also coacting withsaid feed-wheel for thereafter forwarding the advanced sheet.v

y 8. In a sheet-feeder, a pile of superposed sheets, a rotaryfeed-wheel, a sucker oscillatable beneath said pile to separate andcarry the bottom sheet from the pile to said feedwheel, a coactinggripper-roller yieldingly held against and oscllatable over, andfrictionally driven by, said feed-wheel for advancing saidsheettherebetween, and rotary V-moans? 9. In combination, aconveyormeehanism for advancing successive books, a pair of oppositelyfaced; sheet-feeding units arranged above and on either side of saidconveyor,

each unit comprising a rotary feed-wheel and a therewith coactinggripper-roller oscillatable over, and frictionally driven by, saidfeed-wheel for advancing a sheet therebetween to the opposite sides ofbooks on said conveyor.

l0. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary feed-wheel, a coacting gripper-rolleroscillatable over and frictionally driven by said feed-wheel 4foradvancing a sheet therebetween, and rotary means also coacting with saidfeed-wheel and driven thereby for thereafter forwarding the advancedsheet.

l1. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary feed-wheel, a coacting gripper-rolleroscillatable over and frictionally driven by said feed-wheel foradvancing a sheet therebetween, and

spring-pressed rotary means also coacting with said feed-wheel anddriven thereby for thereafter forwarding the advanced sheet.

12. In combination, a conveyor mechanism fo advancing successive books,a pair of oppositely faced sheet-feeding units arranged above and oneither side of.said conveyor, each unit comprising a rotary feed-wheel,a coacting g1i1'iper-roller oscillatable over and frictionally driven bysaid feed-Wheel for advancing a` sheet therebetween, and rotary meansalso coacting with said feed-Wheel and driven thereby for thereafterforwarding the advanced sheet to the opposite sides of books on saidconveyor.

13. In combination, a conveyor mechanism for advancing successive books,a pair of oppositely faced sheet-feeding units arranged above and oneither side of said conveyor, each unit comprising a rotary feed-wheel,a coacting gripper-roller oscillatable over and frictionally driven b vsaid feed-wheel for adbooks on said conveyor.

PAUL E. KLEINEBERG.

